


The Greatest Gift

by Sauric



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bobby Singer is Dean and Sam Winchester's Father, Flashbacks, Home for Christmas, Homophobic Language, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Multi, Thanksgiving to Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:42:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sauric/pseuds/Sauric
Summary: Dean learns that the greatest gift he has is family--even if it's not what he originally expected.





	

Dean looked across the table at his boyfriend's family, thankful to be with them for the Thanksgiving holiday. As his eyes wandered, they landed on his boyfriend sitting next to him, a small smile creeping across his face. Roommates for just over three years, friends for a year and a half, boyfriends for just over a year--it was hard to believe they'd made it here, given their rocky beginning.

 

\-----------------------------------------FLASHBACK---------------------------------------

 

Despite Bobby's reassurance that the house in Sioux Falls was his home and he could make a mess, make mistakes, and it would still be okay, Dean had always kept his space clean with military precision, due to his dad's influence.

On the other hand, Dean's new roommate, Castiel, was the messiest person he'd ever met--a complete and total SLOB. Clothes on the floor, garbage overflowing, cap left off the toothpaste. Dean tolerated it, wiping the sink, vacuuming the floor, nudging clothes back onto Castiel's half. But halfway into the first year, the day came when the mess became too much to be contained to a mere half of the room and Dean tripped over a pile of dirty socks as he walked in the door and promptly face-planted on HIS side! Groaning, he rolled over just as Castiel came in, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

What was he doing on the floor? What was HE doing on the floor?? Dean growled, rolling to his feet and jabbing an accusatory finger at the offending pile of socks. "I have HAD IT with your mess! Clean the fuck up, man. I'm not your maid!"

Castiel glared right back, not taking an ounce of responsibility for his own faults before taking a sharp blow at one of Dean's. "It is not as though you have respect for maids anyway, Dean, since you cannot appear to keep a girl around for very long anyway!"

Dean's eyes narrowed. Hey, it wasn't his fault he couldn't connect with any of them! "You're just jealous."

"Why would I be jealous of a jerk like you?" Castiel snorted, and Dean lost it, taking a swing and connecting with Castiel's jaw with a loud crack.

Castiel, to his credit, didn't go down easy, tackling Dean with a shout, the two grappling and tumbling to the floor, yelling insults and trying to pin each other until the RA, Benny, had wrenched them apart and forced them to talk it out.

"Winchesters don't talk! They drink and internalize until it turns into liver disease!" 

At Dean's protest. Castiel's expression softened abruptly, sympathy--no, worse, pity--in his eyes, and Dean sneered and turned away.

It was like talking to a brick wall at first, but eventually Benny got them to come to an agreement without any bloodshed. Castiel would keep his side cleaner and share chores, and Dean would stop bringing girls by all of the time.

Things were tenuously better for a while until Sunday, when Castiel came back early, lugging clean laundry. He found Dean on his own bed, watching A New Hope on DVD on his laptop, and the sounds of lightsabers clashing caught his attention.

"What's that?"

Dean looked up, startled at first before he glanced back down at the movie on his screen. "Are you kidding me? It's Star Wars, man."

Castiel tilted his head curiously. "I've never seen it."

After that, both Dean and Castiel delighted in Dean's efforts to educate Castiel on pop culture.

Their friendship lasted like that for a while until Castiel came back unexpectedly one Saturday, since he needed journals from the campus library for a paper. He walked in, only to find Dean and Benny curled up on Dean's bed, kissing.

Castiel gasped as they parted, staring from Dean to Benny and back again, gaping as Dean hurriedly wiped spit-slick and swollen lips with the back of his hand.

"Sorry, man. I thought you'd be back tomorrow," he admitted sheepishly.

"You're gay?" Castiel blurted out, wide-eyed.

Dean ducked his head. "Bisexual. Sorry. I didn't--"

He cut off abruptly as Castiel dropped his bags and fled, leaving Dean standing there with Benny at his back.

"I should go," Benny murmured, and Dean nodded stiffly.

Castiel studiously avoided Dean after that, sleeping on a friend's floor and sneaking in for things when Dean had classes.

Balthazar, Castiel's friend, was concerned; Castiel and Dean had been so close. He couldn't fathom that Dean's sexuality would be reason enough to end their friendship. He tried to convince Castiel to talk to Dean (and even vice versa, though he and Dean didn't even get along) but both friends refused. Dean was ever the martyr, citing Castiel's need for space, but Balthazar could see the hurt in his eyes. Even from Dean's experiences in South Dakota, it never failed to hurt.

Then one day, when Castiel sneaked back in for clean clothing, he was surprised to find Dean there, reading in bed.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had class," Castiel said dumbly, just staring at the green-eyed boy hunkered down in his blankets.

Dean's eyes widened, and he paled at the sight of his...former?...roommate. "C-canceled. Professor's sick." Dean's eyes flicked back down to his book nervously. "I can go until you're gone," he offered weakly, flipping back his blankets and shifting to stand.

The words to stop him rose in Castiel's throat, choking him, but he couldn't push them out.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, Dean paused at the door, his back to Castiel. "Just tell me why, Cas. Charlie's a lesbian. Balthazar's what-the-fuck-ever. Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, Dean," Castiel uttered, barely a whisper.

Dean turned on him, and Castiel could see tears brimming in his eyes before one spilled over. "THEN WHY?"

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut tightly against the burning he felt in them, forcing out, "Because it's not me. Because I wish it was me!"

Dean deflated, all of the anger draining out of him. "I thought...I thought you were straight..."

Castiel shook his head as a few tears leaked their way out from beneath his eyelids. "I'm gay. I've had feelings for you since the beginning of freshman year. That's why I didn't want the girls around."

"Or Benny," Dean added quietly.

"Or Benny," Castiel echoed softly. "I wanted you and could never have you. I just--" Castiel choked, and his eyes flew open when hands touched his face, brushing tears away.

"You can. You can have me. If you want me, I'm yours. Just say it." Dean's eyes pleaded with him desperately.

Castiel nodded, laughing faintly. "I want you, okay? I want you."

Dean leaned in and kissed him.

 

\----------------------------------------END FLASHBACK--------------------------------------

 

Dean jerked back to the present, a hand on his knee.

"Dean?" Castiel was gazing at him with concern.

"Hm? Sorry, I was just thinking about what I'm grateful for." Dean smiled at Castiel, who beamed back at him.

"I asked about your folks, dear," Becky, Castiel's mother, said. "You talk about your brother quite often, but you never talk about your parents."

Dean sank down in his seat, staring at his plate and pushing around a pile of mashed potatoes with his fork before finally settling on quietly muttering, "My mom's dead."

He didn't look up, couldn't stand being looked at with pity.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Becky replied.

"You never told me that," Castiel said softly, and only then did Dean look up. Concern was still in his features, and Dean shrugged.

"I was real little. Sammy was just a baby. He doesn't remember at all. I barely remember her." Not exactly true. He remembered her soft blond hair, her light eyes, how she'd sing Hey Jude and make him tomato rice soup. He remembered his dad shoving Sam into his arms, the heat, the smoke, his dad's shouts, and his mother's screams. Fire still freaked him out some.

"What about your dad?" Castiel's father, Chuck, asked.

Dean grimaced at his plate. He didn't need any more pity over his broken family. A deadbeat drunk father who dumped his kids, ages five and nine, on his widowed and childless best friend, bullied them constantly when he had them (Sam and Dad always fought), showed up once every five or six months to drag Dean off on a dangerous bounty hunt, played poker for quick cash when he needed a drink. What kind of father was that?

"Dean?" Castiel was still concerned, and it made Dean's stomach twist itself into knots.

"He's a mechanic," Dean blurted out. "Owns a--a scrapyard. Fixes cars and restores old ones."

Shit. He'd just told them Bobby was his father.

Becky smiled at him. "That's a wonderful job! Mechanics are very important, you have to be really smart to know how to fix all those different cars."

Dean shrugged, and Chuck added, "Did you and your dad do that beast of yours?"

Dean winced and nodded. He and Bobby had fixed up the '67 Impala after John had totaled it driving dunk.

"Yeah," he answered weakly.

Becky reached over and patted his hand sympathetically, misreading his expressions. "It's okay to miss your family at the holidays, Dean. Maybe we can meet them sometime!"

"Yeah," Dean said, swallowing hard. "That sounds...peachy."

Chuck and Castiel began clearing dishes and packing up leftovers while Becky worked on dessert, leaving Castiel's older brother Gabriel glaring at Dean over the table.

"You haven't told your folks, have you?"

Dean's head jerked up, meeting Gabriel's eyes fleetingly before he glanced away again. "I can't!" he hissed.

"And why not?" Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest, staring Dean down in a challenge.

"Because it's South Dakota, man!"

"And?" Gabriel raised a brow.

"And it's right next door to Wyoming where that Shepard guy was killed!"

Gabriel's brow remained quirked. "Are you planning on staying with Cassie long-term?"

Dean threw his hands up. "Of course! What kind of question is that?"

"Then are you waiting for the wedding to spring the news?"

Dean sank back into his chair; Gabriel had a point.

Just then, though, Becky came back in with pie in hand. "Castiel says pie is your favorite food," she said with a smile, "but he didn't say what kind. I hope apple is okay."

"Apple is fine, thank you," Dean replied, subdued.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Later, while Castiel was in the shower, Dean laid on his boyfriend's bed, cell phone in hand and staring at it as though it had personally offended him. What if Bobby hung up on him? What if Sam never spoke to him again?

Dean drew in a deep breath. Might as well get the shit show over with, he decided. That way he could simply confess that his family had rejected him.

Blindly, he pressed the auto-dial number for Bobby's personal cell phone, and Bobby picked up on the third ring, noise barraging him from the background.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bobby," Dean replied shakily.

"Hang on," Bobby muttered into the phone, and the background noise disappeared. "Dean, that you, son?"

Dean chuckled weakly. "Heh, yeah...it's me. Called to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving."

"Well, same to you, boy! Where're you spending the holiday? Not alone, I hope?"

Dean cleared his throat, buying a bit of time. "You, uh, remember I told you I was seeing someone? I'm spending the break with their family."

Bobby just laughed. "Great, now I gotta explain to Sam, you ain't here for a girl!" There was a moment of silence before Bobby asked, "Will we at least see you for Christmas?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Dean said, trying to breathe so he wouldn't throw up, "the, uh, the family wants to meet my dad."

"Oh, Dean," Bobby replied softly, a little too gently. "I don't know what to tell you, son."

"About that?" Dean's breath was coming in quicker, sharper bursts. He was panicking now, there was no stopping it.

"Dean?" Great. Now Bobby was concerned, too. Better to rip the bandaid off.

"Isortoftoldmyboyfriend'sfamilythatyou'remydad!" Dean held his breath, even as his chest tightened and his gut twisted with anxiety.

"Run that by me again?" Bobby sounded more like he'd heard it just fine but wanted to confirm he wasn't hearing things.

"I...I sort of told my boyfriend's family that you're my dad."

"Is that Dean?" Sam asked in the background, and Dean's heart stuttered to a stop.

"Why did you tell them that?" Bobby asked.

"That's Dean, isn't it?" Sam asked. "What happened?"

"He told his boyfriend's family that I'm your father."

Sam snorted,the noise louder as the phone switched to speaker. "C'mon, Bobby, you basically are. You're the male figure who raised us more in the last...well, all my life and most of Dean's, than Dad ever did."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're more bothered by that? Not the...not the whole boyfriend part?" Dean was surprised, voice shaking slightly.

Sam made another derisive noise. "Dean, we always knew. Dr. Sexy, Harrison Ford, Hugh Jackman? Not subtle."

"And there was that Aaron kid," Bobby added.

"Oh God," Dean choked out. "You KNEW? Why didn't you say anything?!"

"We figured you'd say something when you were ready. Must be serious," Bobby replied, trying to soothe Dean's stress.

"Yeah. It is." Dean's voice dropped low.

"So, what's his name and how'd you meet?" Sam asked, the nosy little nerd.

"Castiel. My roommate freshman year." Dean related a condensed version of the story with a laugh.

"So they wanna meet the family, huh?" Bobby teased lightly at the end. "You can bring 'em up here if you want. They can stay here, we have the room."

"Well, there's his parents, plus his brother. You sure?"

"Yeah. You can help cook, you hear?" Bobby said, almost gruff, but worn through with affection.

"Yes, sir."

"We're happy for you, jerk," Sam added quietly.

"Bitch. Love you guys."

"You, too, son."

As he hung up, Castiel returned to the room, dressed in black and yellow bee pjs, hair damp and curling at the edges.

"I called my family," Dean said, staring up at the ceiling from where he lay.

"And?"

"They want your folks to spend Christmas in Sioux Falls. I mean, with the winter roads and the car fixin' business, it's hard for him to take winter vacations."

"I see," Castiel said. "Well, we can talk about it in the morning."

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Castiel's parents and brother had agreed to drive up with Dean for Christmas, cramming Chuck, Becky, and Gabriel in the back seat, and everyone's luggage in the massive trunk. Those three planned to fly back to Stanford after New Year's, and Castiel would spend the rest of winter break in Sioux Falls with Dean.

Dean spent the rest of the semester calling Bobby and Sam more often, frantic to fill them in on details on his boyfriend and relationship. By the time the semester ended, Dean was a nervous mess--John hadn't visited in months and was off the radar, so Dean hoped that meant he was on a hunt and not planning on dropping in. Still, he spent the entire drive trying not to think about it and pointing out interesting landmarks along the way. And although Dean had wanted to drive through, Chuck and Becky made him stop and paid for a hotel room--poor Gabriel, delegated to the couch which he made up for by copiously teasing Dean and Castiel for cuddling.

By the time they reached Sioux Falls, Dean was shaking like a leaf, and even Gabriel had enough sense to leave Dean alone as he pulled up in front of the old, worn down house, wreathes on the windows and colored lights strung up on the roof lines and eaves.

"It's not much, but it's home," Dean said by way of introduction, tensing when the front door opened and Bobby stepped out onto the porch. Dean climbed out slowly, opening the door behind him for Becky before circling around for Chuck, and lastly, Castiel from the front passenger seat. Gabriel slid out from the middle after his father.

As Dean approached the porch, the door swung open and Sam stepped out, Gabriel lighting up with immediate interest. Dean's gaze swung back to Bobby as he cautiously approached the porch, ducking his head with a soft, "Sir."

Bobby frowned down at him. "Now, none of that, boy. Get up here and say hello proper!"

Dean hopped up the steps, and Bobby swept forward to engulf him in a tight hug. "Welcome home, son." He slapped Dean on the back before passing him off to Sam. With a chuckle, Dean ruffled his little brother's floppy hair.

"Dude, you need a haircut! You and Gabe, both!"

"Hey!" Gabriel chimed, and Dean turned with a smirk. 

"This is Becky Rosen, Chuck Shurley, Gabriel (AKA the annoying older brother)--"

"You should know!" Sam cut in, but Dean shook his head, reaching for Castiel's hand and pulling him up onto the porch as Dean chewed on his lower lip.

"And this...this is Castiel. Cas. My, uh, my boyfriend." He nodded toward Sam and Bobby. "My brother, Sam, and my dad, Robert. Call him Bobby, though."

Bobby and Sam shook hands with everyone and stepped inside the narrow front hall, where Dean was promptly tackled by a skinny blond girl.

"Dean!"

An older blond woman followed her out of the kitchen, taking the younger girl's place in hugging Dean immediately after.

"Jo, Ellen!" Dean was surprised to see them, suddenly nervous all over again. "Did...did Bobby tell you about the whole...?"

"Boyfriend thing?" Jo was grinning at him. "Yep!"

"Oh." Dean hunched his shoulders in protectively, looking from Jo to Ellen's face apprehensively.

"Dean, honey, if he makes you happy, then we're happy," Ellen said, disarming for once instead of her usual mama bear self.

Dean tugged Castiel forward again, repeating introductions for Ellen (Bobby's girlfriend, I swear) and Jo (the annoying little sister I wish I never had).

After dinner, everyone settled in--Ellen and Jo helped set up Chuck and Becky in the guest bedroom, Gabriel on a blow-up mattress in Sam's room, and Castiel sharing Dean's old room. Jo got stuck on the couch, much to her chagrin.

When Dean climbed into bed that night, and into Castiel's arms, Castiel leaned up to kiss him.

"That went well," Castiel murmured against his mouth, and Dean just grunted, pushing Castiel down and settling on top of him.

"Get off, you're heavy and we're not having sex in your father's house." Castiel grunted and poked at him.

Dean gaped, whining. "But we're here until the end of January, babe! I can't go that long," he protested, and Castiel snorted.

"Fine. But only when it's just us at home."

Dean sighed, temporarily satisfied, and he obediently rolled off. "Fine. Spoilsport."

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Christmas morning a few days later went well, after everyone had participated in getting a live tree propped up and decorated in the corner of the living room and stockings strung up on the radiator. Dean made breakfast, then everyone opened their stockings and presents--Becky and Chuck had given Bobby a fancy coffee maker, Dean had given Becky and Chuck a copy of the Dragon software for their writing, Ellen had given Dean a brand new printed copy of his mother's recipes, were some of the more notable gifts. But the one gift that surprised everyone the most was the one that Dean gave to Castiel--a thin gold band.

"It's not...it's not much, just my mom's ring...so I've been thinking a lot after something Gabe said to me. Cas, you're it for me. This can, uh, be a promise ring, if you like, I can get you something better and propose for real later."

Castiel peered down at the ring before sliding it onto one shaky hand.

"Dean, it couldn't be more perfect. I love you," Castiel said, looking up at Dean and giving him a wobbly smile, "and I would love to marry you."

Dean grinned back, watery and trembling. "Yeah?"

Castiel's smile widened before he leaned in, murmuring a quiet, "Yes," before kissing Dean.

"Damn it!" Jo complained, "you guys didn't even let me crack out the mistletoe first! "

Dean just laughed.

Later, when Dean was preparing dinner, Bobby stepped into the kitchen, and Dean fidgeted nervously.

"So. Your mom's ring."

Dean looked up from basting the turkey. "Yeah."

"It's that serious, then?"

Dean glanced back at the turkey, shoving it back into the oven. "Yeah, he's everything to me."

Bobby nodded and silently went to work peeling potatoes.

An hour later, dinner was on the table and a brief grace was spoken for the company and the day. It was pleasant, with good conversation, warm laughter, and excellent food, and Dean finally allowed himself to relax, reaching over for Castiel's left hand and running his thumb over the gold band.

About a half an hour into dinner, though, the front door opened with a bang before slamming shut again. Dean's eyes widened as he went stiff, looking across the table at Bobby and Sam, the latter of whom looked just as spooked.

"Did you invite anyone else?" Dean hissed, and Bobby shook his head.

Just then, a tall, older man swaggered into the kitchen, staring around at the crowd in surprise. "What the hell is this? he asked, scratching at his stubbled chin.

"What does it look like, John?" Bobby grunted, his eyes trained on his plate as much as they were on John.

John's eyes traveled over Becky, Chuck, Gabriel, and Castiel, all of whom were glancing from one another to Dean and back to John again.

"Chuck Shurley," Chuck finally offered. "My wife, Becky Rosen, and our sons, Gabriel and Castiel." He reached out a hand and John eyed it warily before he shook it.

"John Winchester. Sam and Dean's father."

Castiel's family looked at Bobby and Dean in surprise, Dean pulling his hand away from Castiel's as if he'd been burned and sliding down in his chair.

It was Sam who broke the silence.

"You are not," Sam growled, edging closer to Bobby. "Bobby is."

Rage flickered over John's features. "How dare you, don't you dare talk like that to me!"

He took a threatening step toward Sam, but instead of backing down, Sam only revved up.

"No. You're not my father, and you're not Dean's father. I told you, Bobby is. Because a father is the man who raises you, who tucks you in at night, bandages scraped knees, goes to your games, and helps with your homework. He's the man who helps you get your first job, fix up your first car, encourages you, and cheers you on when you achieve a dream. That was never you. That was Bobby! You just dumped us like unwanted trash on your best friend who lost his own wife! He managed to keep his shit together, even without kids to raise, and then he raised us with no help from you because you just drink away every paycheck you earn!"

John growled, stomping toward Sam, but Dean shot to his feet, shoving his hands into John's chest and knocking him back.

"Dean, don't you dare--"

Dean made a feral noise low in his throat. "From the time I was four years old, you told me my one job was to protect Sam. Well, I'm protecting Sam, even from you. Because I take care of him."

John glared from Bobby, to Dean, and back again.

"Dean's right," Bobby rumbled. "As soon as he got his first paycheck, he's always tried to help take care of Sam. From handfuls of crumpled bills, envelopes stuffed with cash, checks signed over, wire transfers, Dean has paid me every cent he didn't need to live on. For Sam. Which is more than you ever did for these boys."

Sam made a surprised noise, his head jerking up. "Dean? Is that--?"

"Someone had to. Dad didn't, and it wasn't Bobby's job to raise us. I wanted to take care of you," Dean confessed.

Bobby nodded. "I saved it, too." Both Dean and Sam's heads whipped around to stare at him. "I put it into an account for a college fund for Sam, except..."

"Except what?" Dean asked cautiously.

Sam ducked his head sheepishly. "I got into Stanford. Like you."

Dean's eyes widened at the implications. "What? No way. You're coming to California?"

Sam nodded, but Dean frowned. "But you'll need the money then."

"I got a full ride. Also like you," Sam said, a small grin teasing at his lips.

Dean blinked, dazed for a few moments before he grinned widely, grabbing Sam in a hug. "But what about the money then?"

"It's yours, as far as I'm concerned," Bobby snorted.

"But--"

"No buts," Sam cut it. "I don't need it." He nodded at Castiel with a smile.

"And I didn't raise you boys for the money. I raised you because you're mine," Bobby added gruffly.

John snorted derisively. "That doesn't make you their father."

Dean turned back at John's words. "Bobby always said, 'Family don't end with blood', and he was right. But it don't start there neither." He sneered at John. "Far as I'm concerned, you're just a DNA donor. I'm done with worrying about making you proud, because I'll always be a disappointment to you. But Bobby? He's only ever wanted me to be happy. And I am." He reached for Castiel's hand, holding it up, emboldened by Sam's protests.

"I'm about to finish my degree in mechanical engineering, I've got a job waiting, Sammy's following me to California. But most importantly, I met a great guy, Castiel. I plan to marry him; he already said yes."

If Dean had though his father's heated rage at Sam had been bad, Dean quickly realized the cold fury was worse as John swung, connecting with Dean's jaw with a crack. Dean stumbled backwards as Bobby surged forward, swinging hard and knocking John flat on his ass. 

"Why does everyone go for the face?!" Dean squawked, clutching his cheek.

"Nobody hits my boys, John. Now or ever. Now you just get out of my house, and don't you ever come back. Dean's a grown man, Sam's nearly grown. They have no place for you in their lives anymore."

John climbed to his feet, wiping at his face and glaring at Dean. "I don't need a queer for a son anyway," he spat before casting his snarling gaze at Sam. "Or a coward who needs to be coddled."

Bobby made a move to hit John again, and John jerked back. "Or a friend who betrays me."

Bobby snorted. "The only person who betrayed anyone is you. You betrayed your children's trust in their father, so they sought out someone they could trust instead. Now get, 'afore I call the sheriff."

John cast one last angry look around the room before storming out, slamming the door behind himself.

Bobby passed Dean an ice pack wrapped in a dish towel as Dean sank back into his chair. 

"Dean?" Sam pulled his chair next to his brother's, and Dean released Castiel's hand to squeeze Sam's instead, chuckling weakly.

"I can't believe I just came out to Dad."

"I'm proud of you for it," Bobby said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Dean glanced up at Castiel and his family apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Chuck, Becky."

"For what?" Chuck asked curiously.

"I lied about my dad."

"You didn't lie, sweetheart," Becky assured, and Chuck nodded.

"From what I saw and heard, you told the truth. A father protects his children and loves them no matter what. Bobby is your father."

"I thought it was weird when you called him by his first name," Gabriel muttered, and Jo elbowed him.

"Don't ruin the moment. I'm glad to see John go," she chastised quietly.

"You and me both," Ellen whispered back. "Guy's an ass."

Dean looked up at Castiel sheepishly. "You're not mad?"

Castiel shook his head. "Of course not. You wanted us to know the man who raised you to be the wonderful person you are today. My mother is right; Bobby is absolutely your father."

Sam smiled at Castiel with a soft, "Thanks," but then Gabriel broke the moment again by gagging. 

"This is getting too sweet, even for me."

Everyone burst into laughter, settling back down into their seats, and Dean looked around the table, at all of his family, the sight of the lighted tree in the living room beyond them. And he knew in that moment that it had been a very Merry Christmas indeed.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Two Christmases later became the most important Christmas of Dean's life, even over the one where he'd asked Castiel to share his life with him forever, and he smiled, peering down at the family photograph that Jo had taken, unbeknownst to him. A knock on his door made Dean look up, startled. "Yeah?"

Ellen poked her head in, smiling at Dean. "Are you ready, sweetheart?" she asked quietly, almost reverently, as if she couldn't believe what was about to happen.

Dean grinned back. "Ellen, I've been ready. If it wasn't for the fact that Cas wanted a big White Christmas type wedding, I would have dragged him down to the courthouse the next day," he chuckled warmly, and Ellen just shook her head.

"You, Dean Winchester, aren't much of a romantic."

"Hey!" Dean protested. "That's totally not true. It's not my fault for listening to Beyonce."

Bobby's face appeared in the space of the open door behind Ellen. "Fix your tie, Dean, it's almost time."

Dean frowned as he glanced down at his green tie, quickly straightening it before glancing back up at Bobby. "How's Cas doing?"

"Nervous," Bobby answered honestly. "And very eager to get the show on the road."

Dean nodded. "Then let's do this."

With a firm nod, Bobby disappeared out of view, and Ellen peered over her shoulder for a few beats before she waved for Dean to come over. "You sure you don't mind me and Bobby filling in as your folks?" she asked, just one last time.

"Of course I'm sure, Ellen, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't. You and Bobby have been there for me the most." The smile Dean gave her was wobbly but sure as he made his way down the church hallway to the vestibule, gasping in surprise when he spotted Castiel waiting for him in front of the sanctuary.

With a smile, Castiel reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers as Becky fussed over Castiel's untamable bedhead hopelessly. "Are you ready, Dean?"

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life, Cas," Dean replied, his smile wide and infectious as Becky and Ellen hurried away. A few moments later, the doors swung open, the organ starting up, and he felt Castiel grip his hand tightly as they walked down the aisle together.

For maybe Dean's family wasn't a conventional one, but it was the one he had, special and wonderful, and a family that loved him, and Dean wouldn't trade that precious, invaluable gift for anything in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> "that Shepard guy" is referring to Matthew Shepard, murdered for being gay in Laramie, Wyoming.
> 
> Little venting against alcoholic fathers...


End file.
